


The City of Balance

by Dragon_Dweller



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - The Mortal Instruments, Angelic Power, Angels, Archangels, Demons, Down Worlders, F/M, Fighting, Fluffy, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Marks, Mundanes, Nephilim, Nephilim Marriage, New York, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Possible Character Death, Possible Title Change, Rituals, Romance, Runes, Shadow Hunters, Tags May Change, True Love, True Mates, War, Were-Creatures, Were-Tigers, Werewolf Mates, Werewolf/Were-Tiger, Werewolves, battles
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-15 00:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2208621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon_Dweller/pseuds/Dragon_Dweller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The threat of the war between the Downworlders and the Shadowhunters that Valentine wants to start was only stopped for a short time. Now the threat has returned, Valentine's still remaining followers have found a new way to bring him back and reengage the war that could destroy life as we know it. So, Clary, Jace, Luke, Simon, Isabelle and Alec with their familiar list of allies, and a set of new allies, once again go head to head to fight to restore the balance between the Shadowhunters, Downworlders and Mundanes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The City of Balance

**Author's Note:**

> This is a bit of an Alternate Universe - Mortal Instruments with a few new things, people and story lines. Jocelyn is still in a magically induced coma from COB. Luke's love interest is different. I might do some Clary/Jace, Bane/Alec and another pairing I'm considering. I hope you readers like it, I welcome comments and feedback.

Luna lounged on her couch with a cup of tea and lost in thought before a familiar pounding came from her front door. Her brother Axel got up from his spot, checked the peep hole and pulled the door open for the group standing on the other side of it. Four came in with the usual Shadow Hunter black leather and weaponry and three in regular street clothes, but only one of them was actually human. The five were Shadow Hunters, one of them was a Shadow Hunter/Werewolf, and the other was just a Were-Tiger. All of them Luna pretty much knew.

“Luna, the Archangel of Balance.”

“Jace Lightwood, the Shadow Hunting pain in the ass.” Luna replied to the blond with a sly grin.

Jace winked at her as he started to roam her living room in his usual fashion. Luna acknowledged Alec and Isabelle Lightwood and Clary Fray, but her eyes settled on the Werewolf, Luke Garroway, they'd met some years back, just after Luke had become a Werewolf, though it wasn't until a few years after their meeting, that Luke learned she was the Archangel of Balance.

“We need to get Luke on Rollo's land.” Titus, the other Were-Tiger, blurted out without hesitation.

Luna's attention left Luke and rested on Titus with a raising eyebrow at him. “You need to get him where?”

“On to Rollo's land.”

“Are you fucking crazy!?” Axel snapped with a stunned expression.

“Technically, Luke isn't a Shadow Hunter anymore and you know Rollo won't let Shadow Hunters on his land and he won't let me cause he already considers me a traitor for working with them.” Titus argued.

“What the hell do you think he'll do to me when he finds out I lied about the motives of bringing Luke with me?” 

“But he can't harm you!” Isabelle protested. “You're an Archangel!”

Luna leaned forward and whispered. “He doesn't care. Plus,” she added resting back again. “Luke would be the last person Rollo would let on his land.” she looked at Luke, “Nothing directly personal, it's just that he hates Werewolves almost as much as he does Shadow Hunters.”

“Why does he hate Werewolves?” Clary asked, offended for Luke.

“Decades ago, before Luke was a Wolf, there were wars between Were-Tigers and Werewolves, turf battles, one night during that time, two packs of Werewolves snuck onto Rollo's Were-Tiger pack land and it was basically a massacre. There had been over 300 Were-Tigers on that land, when it ended, there was below 170. Rollo's wife, Mia, also a Were-Tiger, and their four children were among those murdered. If any Werewolf comes within three miles of Rollo's lands, they rarely survive.” she explained. “I won't risk Luke's safety.”

“But we need to get on there to talk to him!” The human interrupted. 

“Simon!” Clary scolded her friend.

“If you need Rollo talked too, I'll do it. Just tell me what to ask.” Luna offered.

“It's not possible, there's something there that only Luke can identify.” Titus shook his head.

“What could the possibly be?” Luna asked, directing herself to Luke.

“An objected used in the Circle.” Luke answered. “It's particularly powerful and can be used to reform the Circle and start the war against the Downworlders and Shadowhunters.”

“Valentine.” Luna whispered, rubbing her face. “Should've just in Black Burned him when I had the chance.”

“Black Burned him?” Alec frowned at her.

“Right, all I need to tell you what Black Burning is and have Captain Reckless over there,” she motioned to Jace, who stood flipping through the pages of an old book in Luna's collection. “To go out and fucking try it.”

“Awh, come now, Luna, give us a hint.” Jace teased, grinning.

“It's nasty, it hurts and it's a positive way of killing someone so they never come back.” She gave the hint, without giving it away.

“So, is there no way of getting Luke on to Rollo's land safely?” Isabelle asked.

“No.” Luna shook her head.

The group groaned, discouraged, just as a thunderous banging from somewhere deep in the house filled the air. Nearly everyone jumped and tensed from habits of battle. But no one moved or spoke as the thundering continued, sounding like an enraged bull trying to get out of its pen. But as suddenly as it started, it stopped and the silence was as deafening as the noise. Luna and Axel stared at each other as everyone else stared at them.

“What was that?” Simon asked, finding his nerve to speak first.

“Evil.” Luna answered, never taking her eyes of Axel.

“Evil? Why do you have Evil in your house?” Jace snapped.

“Cause I can't kill it.” Lune whispered, getting up and walking into the kitchen.

“And why not?” Isabelle questioned.

“Because I don't want to die.” Luna replied, from the kitchen. “I'm the Angel of Balance, the Balance of Good and Evil and everything in between. But that doesn't mean I, myself, is balanced. For some things Evil that Good can't fight, only more Evil can.”

“So, you have an Evil side?” Simon summed it up.

“Yes.” Luna nodded. “I use to be able to contain it in myself, but as the Evil of the world grew, so did mine, to the point where it almost overpowered me. So, the Good and Evil of me was separated and the Evil is contained in a Angelic barrier to prevent it from escaping, or being released, and bringing destruction upon the world.” She explained, seating herself.

“So what happens if it over takes you?” Jace asked.

Luna looked over her shoulder at the blonde, “You don't wanna know.” she whispered. “But you can't leave tonight.” she added.

“Why?” Alec demanded.

“It only goes wild like that where there's Evil around, you're being followed and in here nothing can touch you.” Axel answered him.

“How do you know?” Simon asked, stubbornly.

Luna looked at him with a creepy expression. “Nothing is crazy or stupid enough to disrespect me in my home.”

“Jace has.” Isabelle chimed.

“No, actually I haven't.” Jace countered. “Playful teasing.”

“He's right.” Luna nodded, agreeing with Jace as she chuckled.

After a moment of consideration, the group agreed to stay until the threat passed and they could figure out a way to get to Rollo safely. As everyone settled in, Luna disappeared into her secret study, that only Luke and Axel of the group knew about. While she had her back to the entrance, Luke slipped inside, quietly, and watched her glance through one of the floor to ceiling bookcases before removing a thick, dark leather bound book from a middle shelf.

“Where've you been?” Luke asked as Luna turned around to set the book on her desk. “I've been calling you for weeks and you've never answered.”

“I had business with the Clave.” she answered, flipping the book open and gliding her fingers over the table of contents.

“For over three months.” Luke almost growled, leaning on his hands against the other side of her desk.

“You know how hard hunting and re-transporting a Du'sien demon back to their own fucking dimension is, Luke!” Luna snapped, slamming a hand flat against the open book, the golden glow of the Were-Tiger flaring in her Icy blue eyes, but quickly fading. “Plus I was...indispose for a few days afterward.”

“Indispose how?” Luke demanded, but his voice a tone softer than previous.

“In the fight to reopen the portal and sending it back to it's dimension, it managed to attach one of its tentacles and infect me with its poison. I barely got the portal closed before passing out.” She explained quietly frowning, she could feel Luke's concerned and overprotective expression on her as she stared down at the book, absently. “I'm still weak from it, that's why I haven't answered you. I knew you'd want to see me and it's not safe for me to leave the house so vulnerable and I didn't want you to come here, find out and worry.” She raised her eyes to him, meeting his worried, concerned and upset eyes.

“What if you died.” Luke whispered softly, but the words cut into Luna.

She sighed heavily, squeezing her eyes shut. “Axel would've told you, if I was going too or had.” she told him, licking her drying lips. “But I'm fine now, I just need to rest some.” she assured him, her hand touching his.

Luke closed his hand around hers softly, his thumb rubbing the top of her hand, a tight and cold knot of worry in his stomach as his mind whirled on the chance of losing her, the fear of it made him dizzy. Since they met he'd been drawn to her like a moth drawn to the flame of a candle, if it hadn't been for her, he would had never survived the Werewolf infection after Valentine set him up in the ambush to get rid of him. It was her powerful Angelic Power that saved him, but it was her care and friendship in the long years after the attack that kept Luke sane and from feeling alone, she helped him come to terms with what he was and how to control and live with it.

“Let me see it.” He said, faintly, glancing up at her with a serious expression.

Luna stared at him for a moment before letting his hand go and straightening herself up. Pulling up her shirt, Luna twisted her upper body sideways, showing the ugly blackish circular mark with blueish gray little veins going out from around the circle on her side, the healing rune drawn over it with a Stele was fading, meaning it was loosing it's power.

“I need to reapply it.” Luna commented, more to herself.

“I'll do it.” Luke answered without hesitation, pushing off the desk and walking around it to Luna. He opened her desk drawer and pulled out her Stele, that he knew was there. “You should lay down.” he whispered.

A small smile appeared on Luna's face. “If you wanted to get me into bed, Garroway, all you had to do was ask, not reapply a Mark.” she said, playfully.

Luke grinned, chuckling, his cheeks reddening softly. “You're as bad as Jace.” he commented.

“Yeah, well, I have a habit of rubbing off on people.” She answered, fixing her shirt and heading out of the study and to her room, Luke following close behind and his heart beating quickly with nerves.

Luna pulled her shirt off as she walked into her room, Luke, still close behind her, noted the various scars on her back from different fights, battles and wars she was involved in. When she laid down on her bed, the smile from the study still on her face as she watched Luke stand there, half way between the door and the bed. He collected himself before sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, the Stele instantly came to life, glowing a bright, metallic purple. With careful precision and steady hand, Luke pressed the tip of the Stele to Luna's already tender skin and reapplied the healing Rune, he glanced at her as she moaned softly at the burn of the Mark.

“Doesn't seem to matter how many Marks I use, the burn never gets any better.” She commented, moving onto her back after Luke finished and set the Stele on the bed stand, his hand resting on her thigh.

“You think it would.” He smiled, softly.

Luna smiled back at him. “Why you been calling?” She asked, going back to their previous conversation.

Luke bit his lip and glanced down to the bed. “I...I missed you.” He admitted out loud.

“You missed me?” Luna asked, almost not believing it.

“Yeah,” Luke nodded, squeezing her leg, gently. “A lot.”

Luna sat up, putting them inches apart. “You're pulling my leg.”

“No, actually I'm rubbing it.” Luke deadpanned. 

Luna dropped her head back. “You smart ass!” she laughed.

“What can I say, you're rubbing off on me.” Luke grinned, chuckling.

Luna picked up her head and looked Luke in the eyes, not a word was spoken but a million little things were said as they stared at each other. Luke's hand moved from her thigh to cup her neck, his thumb caressing the line of her jaw as they slowly leaned forward towards each other. Luna bit the inside of her bottom lip and Luke gulped, lightly, before their lips met. Eyes drifted shut, Luke's hand moved to the back of her neck and head to deepen the kiss, as Luna's hand rested on his side, melting into the kiss and against Luke.

“Umm...” Axel's voice came suddenly from the door.

Luke startled slightly, clearing his throat as he and Luna broke the kiss. Luna raised an eyebrow at her brother. Axel stood there a moment, waiting for them to come up with an excuse or something about finding them kissing, but neither did, so he dropped it.

“Titus thinks he has an idea.” he told them.

“Alright, be there in a sec.” Luna nodded.

Axel hesitated a second and left them. Luna smirked, when Luke looked at her when Axel was gone, looking like a caught teenager. She kissed his bearded cheek and got up, pulling her shirt back on and heading downstairs to hear Titus's supposed idea about getting Luke to see Rollo. Everyone was gathered in the living room again.

“Alright, let's hear it.” Luna said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Three words.” Titus answered, looking at her.

“I'm listening.”

“Gavin and Alana.” 

“Oh, hell no!” Luna snapped, shaking her head. “No!”

“Who are Gavin and Alana?” Jace asked, frowning.

“Me and Luke in a nut shell, basically.” Luna replied. “But the other way around, Alana is a Werewolf from a North Carolina pack and Gavin is a Were-Tiger from Rollo's pack. They met when Gavin went to attend North Carolina State University, where she also studied, fell in love and eloped. Them marrying forced Rollo to recognized Alana as part of the pack, despite him hating her for being a Werewolf.”

“Making her a Were-Tiger by marriage?” Clary asked, frowning a bit confused on the subject.

“Yeah.” Luna nodded, sighing.

“You don't have actually do it, just fake it.” Titus said.

“Rollo isn't an idiot, Titus. The deeper the lie, the deeper the danger.” Luna told him with deathly seriousness. “It won't work.” she said, turning on her heels and going into the kitchen to make herself a fresh cup of tea.

While Luna prepared her cup and the kettle boiled, Luke appeared and stood in the door way of the kitchen, his eyes far off behind the frame of his glasses as he was lost in thought. He pulled from his thoughts as the kettle whistled and Luna pulled it off the stove to pour into her cup to steep.

“Marry me.” Luke whispered, catching Luna off guard.

Her head snapped to his direction with eyes wide in disbelieve, the kettle hovering over her cup. “What?” she squeaked out.

Luke looked up at her, his face set and serious. “Marry me.” He said, more firmly.

“Luke, this isn't something to rush into just to save the world, a noble cause that it is. But re-breaking a Nephilim marriage is one of the most complex and hardest things in the world, and most after the breaking of the pact are left with their heart and soul sick with a loss that's never cured.” Luna told him softly.

“I don't ever plan on breaking the ritual once it's made between us, Luna.” He said with such seriousness, that Luna took a step back. “I'm in love with you, Luna. I have been since I first saw you. When I'm without you....” He let out a hard breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I don't even know how to explain it. But I don't feel right until I'm with you again.”

“Wait, You...You're....This is serious?” Luna asked, flustered.

“Yes.” Luke nodded, adamantly.

“So, is this whole mission thing serious, or is it just a plot for you to pop the question?” Luna asked, a bit overwhelmed.

“The mission is real.” he assured her. “I just saw the opening to ask you.”

Luna set the kettle down, pressing a hand to her face, trying to calm her racing heart. She hadn't seen Luke proposing to her coming, she knew that he was in love, madly in love, with her and the feelings were mutually returned, but him asking her to marry him was something else entirely. They'd never even properly dated or even said I love you to each other. Luna leaned back against the counter and signed.

“Luna,” Luke whispered, moving closer to her. “If you don't want...”

“Lucian.” Luna snapped out Luke's full name, causing him to freeze solid. “It's not a matter of not wanting to marry you, I do.”

“Then what's the problem?” Luke whispered every so softly, his hand reaching out and his fingertips lightly touching her wrist.

The moment Luke made contact with her, Luna gasped, one hand going back to grab the edge of the corner behind her and her knees gave out. Frightened, Luke caught her around the waist and pressed her back to his chest. Luna's eyes squeezed shut for a time before flying open again and they were pure black, her breathing was ragged and quick, one hand still gripping the edge of the counter and the other clawing, painfully, into Luke's jean clad thigh, making him hiss. He held her tightly, knowing the signs of her having a vision, one of her countless Angelic powers. When it creased, her body went all but limp, her head rested back against Luke's shoulder and her eyes closed heavily, and returning to normal. Jace, Axel, Titus and Clary burst into the kitchen hearing the commotion, the others crowded the kitchen doorway.

“What happened?” Axel demanded, checking his sister, still held in Luke's arms, protectively.

“She had a vision.” Luke answered, brushing Luna's snow white hair out of her face, softly.

“Luna.” Axel whispered, cupping her face in his hands, coaxing her awake. “Luna, what happened? Why did you see?”

“The army will rise, there will be a war.” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut at painful pounding of a migraine seeped into her temples. “Luke?” she whimpered softly.

“I'm right here.” Luke answered, resting his head on her shoulder and nuzzling her neck and ear, lovingly. “I've got you.”

Luna took a steady breath. “I'll marry you.” She told him, a smile tugging on the corner of her lips, the thought of being his wife, filled her with a happiness that she never recalled having before in her life. “ _Fideliter Tua Semper_.” She whispered, turning her face into his, making him smiled proudly.

“What does that mean?” Simon asked, whispering into Isabelle's ear.

“ _Faithfully yours, always_.” Isabelle whispered back.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure of the length of this story, my muse is a bit flighty on it. But I'll post what I write.


End file.
